Shoe-tread-forming sheet and mold therefor



Aug.' 17 1926. 1,596,347

" 5. GILQwl-rz SHOE TREAD FORMING SHEET AND MOLD THEREFOR Filed Oct. 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E x9 5, H 5, i? lrL-l- E Patented ug. 17, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN GILOWITZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE TO HARRY ABONSTAM, OF BRONX, NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE-TREAD-FORMING SHEET AND MOLD THEREFOB..

Application led ()ctcbex 22, 1925. Serial No. 64,257.

My invention relates to the manufacture of treads for shoes, from rubber or any desired composition, and it is to be understood that by the term shoe treads, I mean sole members or heel members, including complete heels as well as lifts.

One object of the invention is to provide a relatively thin iexible sheet having integral thickened portions shaped to form shoe treads when cut from said sheet.

Another object is to provide the sheet and the shoe treads thereof, with a concavoconvex form, so that the treads, when cut from the sheet and applied to shoes will snugly engage the latter.

A still further object, in the production of a sheet embodying body sole members and heel members, is to locate said heel members between the sole members, so as to economize iri space and utilize portions of the sheet which could not other wise be used to advantage.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved form of mold for the production of a sheet such as that above discussed.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mold with the upper section removed, disclosing a molded sheet in readiness for removal from the mold.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section as indicated by line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal sectional views as indicated by lines 3 3 and 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one form of sole which may be formed in the mold.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail sectional views as indicated by lines 6 6 and 7 7 of Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a View similar to Fig. 1 show in a different form of construction.

Figures 9 and 10 are respectively a transverse and a longitudinal section as indicated by lines 9 9 and 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Figure 11 is an elevation of a pair of the soles formed by the mold disclosed in Figs. 8, 9 and lO.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 8 butdisclosing a mold for producing only heel members such as complete heels or lifts.

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 13 13 of Fig. 12.

Figure 14 is a plan view of a heel formed by the mold shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

Figures 15 and 16 are detail sectional views on lines 15-15 and 16-16 of Fig. 14.

The form of construction disclosed in Fi 1 to 4 will first be described. TheA mo d shown in these figures, comprises a core C and an outer mold member O, the latter being preferably formed of separate sections connected detachably with each other 4by dowel pins or the like 17. The core C is shown of cylindrical form and the outer mold member O is correspondingly shaped, but it is to be understood that these members may be of any desired cross sectional shape, for instance semi-circular.

In addition to the transverse convexity imparted to the molding surface 18 of the core C, the two end portions of this core member are preferably longitudinally conveX as disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4. Similarly, the molding surface 19 of the outer member O, is transversely concave due to its circular form, and is longitudinally concave at both of its end portions. Suitable means are provided to space themolding surfaces 18 and 19 a slight distance apart, so as to form a thin concavo-convex sheet 20 between them. In the preferred construction, this spacing means is in the form of a ridge 21, one of these ridges being-disposed at each end of and integral with the core member C. f

At least one of the mold members O C, preferably the member O, is formed with a plurality of recesses to permit the formation of shoe treads integrally with the sheet 20. In the present disclosure, some of these recesses are indicated at 22 and are shaped to form sole members S upon the sheet 20, while other recesses 23 are shown, shaped to provide heel members which are preferably rather thin to constitute lifts L. If desired,

' all of the recesses 22 and 23 may be of unishown iu these views. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that since the inner side or bottom of the recess 22 co-acts with the opposed surface 18 of the core C, the latter being convex, said inner side or bottom is concave. Similarly, referring to Fig. 4, it is to be observed that as the inner side or bottom of the recess '22 co-operates with the surface 18 which is longitudinally convex, said inner side or bottom is longitudinally concave to the same extent. By this formation, all of the shoe treads S and L produced by the mold. will possess both transverse and longitudinal curvature, so that the upper side of each tread is concave and its lower side convex, which greatly facilitates tight securing of the tread to the shoe.

The recesses 22 are so related and the ridges 21 so shaped, that the latter form the rear ends of the sole members S, on oblique lines, as fully shown in Fig. 1, and it will be observed that the recesses 23 are so located as to form the lifts or the like L upon the sheet 20, in spaces between the sole members, thus utilizing these spaces which could not otherwise be advantageously used.

Either one of the mold sections O-C may be provided at any desired point-s with pins P to hold washers W to be embedded in the sole or heel members, and it will be understood that these washers may be of the usual or any desired form or forms. In the formation of the sheet, l also prefer to make provision whereby a fabric strip F will be disposed across the rear end of the sole, as disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6. Preferably, the washers for the soles are located about as shown in Fig. 5 and it may be explained that in most instances, l prefer to provide each lift or heel member with only one washer at its center.

After the plastic material from which the sheet and the shoe treads are to be formed. is appropriately engaged with the mold and the sections of the latter are tightly clamped together, the material is heat treated and during such treatment, it runs into all of the recesses 22 and 23 and vis eventually cured. so that when the outer section of the mold is removed` the thin sheet 2O with the integral treads S and L. may be removed. When this sheet is of continuous form, as in the present disclosure, it must of course be longitudinally cut on one or more lines, before it can be disengaged from the core C. In the condition taken from the mold, thel sheetis in readiness to be supplied to shoe repair-men and the like and whenever soles, lifts or the like of one size or another are needed, they are simply severed from the main bodw7 of the sheet 2Q and may be quickly and easily attached.

The general construction disclosed in` Figs. 8, 9 and 10 is substantially the same as that above described and hence only the variations in construction will be specifically referred to. This mold is of a construction to form soles S and complete heels H, the heel-forming recesses 23 of the outer mold member being considerably deeper than the sole-forming recesses 22. The inner extremities of the ridges 2l are also differently shaped from the ridges 21, and the recesses 22 are so positioned that said ridges properly form the rear ends of the soles S.

Like the mold first described, the device shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 may be of cylindrical form in transverse section, or of any other desired shape. Figs. 12 and 13 disclose a mold which in all substantial respects is about the same as those previously described. This mold, however. is intended for the formation of only a plurality of heel members H', either heel lifts or complete heels, the molding recesses for these heel members being indicated at 23a. Obviously, this form of mold, like the others, may be of any desired cross sectional shape.

As excellent results are obtainable from the general construction illustrated, such construction is preferably followed. However, within the scope of the invention as claimed, modifications may of course be made.

I claim:

l. A mold comprising two complementary members having opposed molding surfaces and means for spacing them a slight distance apart to permit the formation of a thin sheet between them, at least one of said mold members having a plurality of shoe tread molding recesses to prov.' de the molded sheet with integral shoe treads certain of said tread molding recesses being so arranged with respect to said spacing means and said spacing means so shaped that the latter will form tbe rear ends of said recesses and the treads -molded therein on oblique lines.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; certain of said recesses being shaped to form sole members, others of said recesses being shaped for the formation of heel members and being disposed to locate such heel members upon portions of the sheet between vthe sole members.

3. A mold comprising two complementary members having opposed molding surfaces` ridges formed at each end of one of said members whereby said molding surfaces are spaced a slight distance apart, the inner edges of said ridges being in the form of a serles of curves, one of said mold members having a plurality of shoe tread molding recesses, certain of said recesses being so arranged with respect to said spacing ridges that the curved inner edges ofthe latter will form the rear ends of said ricesses and the 1treads molded therein on oblique curved mes.

y sides o 4. A mold comprising an inner member and an outer member having both longitudinal and transverse concave and convex molding surfaces respectively, and means for spacing said surfaces a slight distance apart to permit -the molding of a thin concavo-convex sheet between them, at least one of said members having shoe-tread -molding recesses opening through its molding surface to provide the molded'sheet with a plurality of inte ral thickened shoe treads, the inner ig said recesses acting to form one side of the treads and being substantially concentric with the opposed molding surface which forms the other side of sald treads, whereby the treadsIarereach vprovided with both a longitudinall and transversely conca ved side and bot a longitudinally 'and transversely convexed side.

5. A structure asspecified in claim 3; certain of said recesses being shaped to form sole members, other of said recesses being shaped for `the formation of heel members and being disposed to locate such heel members upon portions of the sheet between the sole members. v

6. An article of manufacture comprising a relatively thin flexible sheet of concaveconvex form both longitudinally and transversely and embodying comparatively thick integral portions protruding from at least one of its sides and shaped to provide shoe treads when cut from the sheet said treads bein of concavo-convex form both longitudina ly and transversely.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6;` portions beingv certain of said protrudin sole members, other of sai protruding portions being heel members, the latter. being disposed between the sole members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

BENJAMIN GILOWITZ. 

